Bill would punish anyone who outsources call centers (update)

A bill floating around the Legislature this end of session would render any company that ships call center jobs overseas ineligible for tax credits or state contracts.

The Communications Workers of America is pushing the bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Tim Kennedy, with a Web ad campaign starting soon. It passed the Assembly’s labor committee on Wednesday.

“Companies that send New Yorkers’ jobs overseas, like Verizon, should not be receiving taxpayer dollars or government contracts,” said Bob Master, Legislative and Political Director for District One of the Communications Workers of America. “The loss of thousands of high-quality jobs with good benefits is devastating to New York’s economy and working families. CWA will continue informing New Yorkers about these ruthless practices and are confident they will support this common-sense legislation.”

Update: Here’s a statement from Verizon:

The CWA bill is bad for business in New York, which means it’s bad for jobs and growth. Having call centers in multiple locations helps provide good customer service. Verizon abides by the contracts that the company and its unions have agreed to, and those contracts clearly define what work can and can’t be contracted out. The CWA, which is using this anti-growth bill as a veil for its contract negotiations with Verizon, doesn’t include in its statement that Verizon’s call centers in New York handle calls from outside the state, as well. And employment in our call centers has dropped because the size of our business has dropped over the past decade as consumers turn to other technologies for their communications needs. A fact the CWA is sorely familiar with.